’Wolves give fans a happy Fourth

FLORENCE — Outside of a playoff game or a league championship game, every baseball team wants to win its Fourth of July celebration game the most.

More often than not, it’s the most attended game of the season and you want to send the fans home happy.

The Florence RedWolves did just that Saturday night, defeating the Fayetteville Swampdogs 5-2 in front of 3,796 fans at Legion Field.

“It’s an exciting game. We love seeing all these fans here,” said Florence coach Wes Davis. “It’s like a playoff atmosphere and our guys came out and performed well.”

The game featured a pre-game concert and parachute team, and a lengthy postgame fireworks display set to patriotic tunes.

In between, right-hander Stephen McCray tossed seven shutout innings and Steven Neff belted a three-run homer to lead the RedWolves to their fifth win in five games against Fayetteville at Legion Field
this summer.

“Fayetteville is a good club with good players. They won the (South Division) first half,” Davis said. “There might be a little confidence in our subconscious when we play them, but we don’t do anything differently against them than we try to do every night.

“No matter who we play, we just try to play our game, play well and give ourselves a chance.”

McCray (5-1, 2.09 ERA) was his usual stingy self. In his seven innings, he gave up two hits, walked two and struck out 10.

“Stephen has pitched exceptionally well for us. In his last two outings, he’s really stepped it up and been even better,” Davis said. “Every time he gets the ball, he gives us a chance to win. Seven innings of shutout ball is certainly going to give you a chance to win.”

The RedWolves scored all five of their runs in the third inning with the big blow coming on a three-run, opposite-field homer to left by Neff.

In 13 games, the USC Gamecock is batting .362 with three doubles, a team-high four homers and 16 RBI.

“I’m having a lot of fun. I didn’t get to play a lot during school because I had shoulder surgery, so this is my actual season,” Neff said. “It’s fun to come out here on the Fourth of July in front of a lot of people and hit a home run.”

Florence is now 4-1 and leads the CPL South by a half game over the Wilson Tobs. The RedWolves will host USC Alumni in an exhibition today at 6 p.m.